As part of our Women’s History Month focus, and inspired by this year’s International Women’s Day theme; Inspire Inclusion, we get to know the Vice Deans for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). his week, we hear from Professor Anica Zeyen, Vice Dean for EDI in the School of Business and Management
1.) Please tell me more about yourself and your role?
I’m a Professor in Entrepreneurship and Inclusion in the School of Business and Management. I originally joined Royal Holloway back in 2015 as a Lecturer. My PHD research focused on social entrepreneurship, ventures that tackle social and environmental challenges. While this is still part of what I do, my research has shifted to focus entirely on disability-inclusive organisation. I look at disabled people’s experiences of stigma and ableism in the workplace and during their entrepreneurial endeavours. I also work with external partners on how to improve leisure access to disabled people. Here, I for instance co-curated an exhibition of blind and partially blind artists that showcased various accessibility features. I am a qualitative researcher and especially like working with diary studies and visual methods. The latter is exciting and challenging as I’m blind and I like playing around with the idea of doing visual research with very limited sight.
In early 2023, I was appointed Vice Dean for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) for our School. I was really honoured. It is a very diverse role as I’m leading our School’s work around EDI across our diverse activities. At university level, I am part of various EDI committees and working groups that shape practices and policies.
In addition, I also chair the Disability and Mental Health Staff Network which supports disabled colleagues and works with the University EDI team to celebrate Disability History and Mental Health History Month.
2.) What do you enjoy most about being the Vice Dean EDI in your school?
I love that I get to meet and work with lots of different people within our School and across all of Royal Holloway who are passionate about EDI. It’s been so fascinating to learn how other disciplines tackle EDI and what the challenges and successes have been across initiatives on inclusive teaching, research and staff management.
EDI work is so much about learning about other people’s experiences. This is something that really draws me in as well. I thoroughly enjoy gaining new insights and being challenged to consider our complex personhoods and how this impacts someone’s experiences. I don’t think I will ever stop learning.
3.) The theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is ‘#InspireInclusion’ – how do you integrate this theme within you own work?
I think we can inspire inclusion by celebrating our colleagues and students. We represent so many different intersectional identities within Royal Holloway and I feel that we can do more to celebrate their achievements. For me, this doesn’t mean to simply convey the glossy brochure version of their lives but to frankly talk about challenges including discrimination, bullying and microaggressions that colleagues and students have faced - whether or not these happened while at Royal Holloway. I believe that we can only inspire inclusion by understanding and not shying away from where it went off road. I have organised some events within the school to have such conversations and have invited externals to talk to us. I want to do more in this area in the future and am currently working on various ideas.
4.) What are you currently working on in your role as Vice Dean EDI?
There are lots of things I work on and am involved in. For instance, for our School, I’m already starting to work on our Athena Swan Silver application which is due in 2026. I also co-chair one of the working groups in the promotion review process and co-chair the Disabled Staff and Student Working Group. Together with our Vice Dean Education and Student Experience, we are developing a school-wide inclusive education framework to ensure that all our students can achieve their best.
5.) Who inspires you both inside and outside work?
There are lots of people who inspire me. My parents and grandparents for example have taught me a lot about persevering even when the world around you turns upside down. I’m inspired by past and current disabled people who despite all the obstacles live their lives and don’t stop fighting for equality. I’m inspired by our staff and students who despite challenging current or past situations turn up and do their best, many of them aiming to make this world a better place for all. For me, people’s passion and perseverance against the odds is what inspires me and drives me to do my best.
6.) 6) March is also Women’s History Month – is there a woman from history that you find particularly inspiring?
There are many. Yet I would say Helen Keller stands out. She became deafblind as an infant and the first deafblind graduate of Harvard University to get a Bachelor of Arts. She campaigned tirelessly for civil rights, disability rights and suffragettes. She stood up for what she believed was right and helped to improve the lives of blind people in the USA and many other countries around the world.
7.) How do you like to spend your free time outside of work?
My husband, two sons and I like being out and about. We go for long walks every weekend, come rain or shine. We enjoy travelling to explore both nature and culture. I love dancing and once I get started am hard to get off the dance floor. I don’t have a guide dog right now as my last guide dog retired just before Christmas. When I have my new guide dog, playing with it, taking it for long walks and cuddling it will be a great part of my leisure time. I also like reading fantasy and science fiction books. I enjoy going to Musicals and concerts. I‘m a big foodie and enjoy trying out new cuisines and all the amazing food my husband cooks and bakes. I do get freshly baked bread rolls every weekend. I also volunteer as fundraiser and speaker for Guide Dogs UK to pay it forward and to say thank you to this amazing organisation.